Rim clamp



G. V. SEARS.

RIM CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14,1920.

1,41 7,86%, Patented May'30, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE V. SEAR-S, '0']? SALT LIJZECITY, UTAH.

331M CLAMP.

Application filed September 1 To (i/Z LU/1077b it may concern Be itknown that I. Gnoncn V. Sirens, citizen of the United States, residingat Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State 01 Utah, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Him Clamps of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved rim clamp and has asone of itsprincipal objects to provide a clamp particularly adapted for use inconnection with a rim tool of the character shown in my pendingapplication for rim contractor filed December 6, 1919, Serial No.343,025.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rim clamp which maybequickly engaged with or disengaged from a rim.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide a rim clampwhich will, without mutilating the rim, efiectually grip the rim andcoact therewith without slipping.

Other and incidental objects will appear hercinailter.

in the drawing:

Figure 1. is a fragmentary plan view showing a rim tool of the characterillustrated in my pending application identified, equipped with the rimclamps ot the present invention, the clamps being shown engaged with arim of conventional design.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through one of theclamps.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the upper jaw blockemployed upon the clamp.

Figure 41 is a fragmentary perspective view showing; the lower jaw blockof. the clamp, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective showing a slight modification ofthe invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I have in order toclearly bring out the function and operation of my improved rim clamp,shown the invention in connection with a rim tool as disclosed in mypending application previously noted. Briefly described, said toolincludes coacting arms 10 and 11 respectively. The arm 10 carries apinion 12 at its inner end while the arm 11 is provided with a rackcoacting with said pinion, the arms being pivotally connected. Betweenthe outer end portions of the arms extends a rack bar 13 and mounted.upon the arm 11 to coact with said Specification of Letters Patent.

areas. Serial No. noise.

bar is a pinion 1&1 which may be rotated by a crank 15. By turning thiscrank the arms may be swung; toward or away from each other forseparating the ends oi a rim or drawing the rim ends together intooverlappinp; relation, while by rotating the pinion 12, the arm 1.1 maybe moved longitudinally relative to the 10 for shifting the rim ends outof register.

In carrying the present invention into etttect. each of the arms ltland11 is as shown in Figure S2 tormed at its outer eu'l with :1 dependingaw 16 through the inner end oi which is a vertical opening" 17 andupstandingilrom the arm is an arcuate flange 18 "forming a continuationof the wall of said opening above the arm. This flange is Formed uponits torwar-d side with arcuate teeth '19 located adjacent the upper endof the flange. At its free end the jaw is flanged to provide a seat 20and engaging in said seat is a jaw block 21 detachahly secured nposition by =cap belts or other fastoning devices 22. This block isprovided in its upper edge with a straight substantially V-shaped slot23. However. the walls o t said slot are. as will be observed, convex.li [ounte-d upon the fixed jaw 16 is a movable jaw 24:. This jaw isprovided with an angularly disposed cylindrical shank 25 which is freelyreceived through the opening 17 of the fixed jaw and is reduced at itslower end po1tioi1.,.a split ring; 26 being engaged through the lowerend of said shank for detachably connecting: the movable jaw with thefixed jaw. Upon the rear side thereof. the shank. is provided with aseries of teeth 27 to coact with the teeth 19 and termed on the jaw atits outer end is a socket 28. Threaded through the outer end wall ofthis socket is a screw shaft 29 equipped at its outer end with a turmngrod 30 slidable therethrough and swiveled upon the inner end. of saidshar't is a cylindrical jaw block 31 Freely received within the socketto confront the jaw block 21 of the fixed jaw in coactingr relation. Asbest shown in Figure 2. the socket is formed at one side thereof with arib 32 while the block is provided with a longitudinal groove to receivesaid. rib so that the block will thus be held against rotation. At itsouter end the jaw block 31 is provided with a straight substantiallyV-shaped slot similar to the slot 23 of the block 21., the slot 33having convex; Walls;

As will now be clear, the shank 25 of the jaw 24 may be positionedthrough the opening 17 of the fixed jaw for adjusting the movable jawwith respect to the fixed jaw so that the jaws may, as suggested inFigure 2, be arranged to embrace a vehicle wheel rim. The jaw block 21may thus be engaged with one side flange of the rim so that the edge ofsaid flange will. be received'within the slot 23, when the jaw block 31may, by turning the shaft 29, be adjusted to engage the other sideflange of the rim, the edge of this latter flange being received withinthe slot 33. Continued adjustment of the shaft 29 will then serve totightly bind the jaw blocks in engagement with the rim. In thisconnection attention is directed to the fact flanges and since the slotsare straight while the flanges are, of course, curved, the walls of eachslot will coact with the inner and outer faces of the respective flangesat three points of contact, the outer walls of said slots engaging theouter faces of the flanges at points disposed substantially midwaybetween the ends of said walls respectively, and the inner walls of theslots engaging the inner faces of the flanges atpoints dis-- posedadjacent the ends of theinner walls respectively. Further, attention isdirected to the fact that the slot of the block 21 is considerablylonger than the slot of the block 31 and since the block 31. is centeredwith respect to the block 21, the block 81 will coact with the adjacentrim flanges at a point disposed in a plane midway between the ends ofthe block 21 so that the .two blocks will thus have a three pointgripping action tending to compress the side flanges of the rimtherebetween. Slipping of the jaw blocks upon the rim to causedislocation of the clamps will thus beeffectually overcome a11d, as willbe observed, the jaws are of ample dimensions to accommodate variousconventional types of rims. Shouldthe blocks 21. and 31 prove unsuitablefor use in connection with, any particular type of rim, these blocksmaybe readily removed and others substituted therefor, it being possible inthis manner to readily adapt the device to different rims. In thedrawing, a rim has been conventionally shown at 34 and in Figure 1 anordinary pneumatic tire 35 is illustrated in position on the rim.

In Figure 5 of the drawings, I have illustrated a slight modification ofthe invention wherein the jaw 16 of the arm 10, as

illustrated in Figure 1, is provided at its inner edge with a laterallydirected extension 36 through which is threaded. a set screw 3?adjustable to impinge the base of a rim for locking the rim clamp of thearm against slipping along the rim. Otherwise, this modified structureis identical with the preferred form of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: v

1. A rim engaging clamp including a fixed jaw, a coacting movable jawloosely connected with the fixed jaw but adjustable with respectthereto, and rim engaging means carried by the jaws and provided withstraight rim edge receiving slots having convex walls.

In a rim clamp, the combination of a fixed jaw provided near its innerend with an opening and at its outer end with a seat, a stationary jawblock clamped in said seat, a movable jaw having a shank freelyadjustable through said opening, a jawbloclr slidably adjustable uponthe outer end of the movable jaw to coact with the stationary j awblock, the fixed jaw being provided with a lateral extension, and a setscrew adjustable upon said extension in a plane at substantially rightangles to the plane of said blocks.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

GEORGE v. SEARS. L. 8.1

